Using tools to support the use of the Lexia SOS program.

  • Laminated Lexia Lessons sheets


  • Lots of whiteboard pens (blue and black)


  • Whiteboard erasers (I bought make-up powder puffs)


  • Mini Scrabble letter tiles and grids (You can get these from The Dollar City on King Street.)


  • Magnetic letters for a magnetic whiteboard


  • Pipe cleaners (to make b, d, p letters).

Research shows that the problem of mistaking these letters is equally as prevalent in the population of "normal" readers and is not a specific indicator of reading disability as thought in the past. There is evidence to show that this is a similar issue to mixing up the names of students in your classes and is the result of not having enough exposure to the items (letters or people), together and alone, to become familiar with salient features. An evidence-based method for increasing exposure of b, d, p is to play games with them, especially those which involve physical interaction.
On the film "Taare zameen par" (I recommend you all watch it), the dyslexic child makes the letters using plasticine or clay, and paints the letters, too. I bought pipe cleaners or two colours (one of each colour for each student) and got the students to make the letters and place them on a line drawn on a whiteboard. As they got better, we had races.
We also used a number of mnemonics to help them learn the differences.
'b'&'d' = hold hands with thumbs up and make a bed.
external image b+and+d1.jpg
Mnemonic based on formation of the letters: 'b' is the first of these letters in the alphabet and, when writing it, you start with a 1 and add a loop; 'd' comes after 'c' and, when writing it, you write a 'c' shape and then a tail, so you can say to yourself "c before d" and you write the letter; 'p' occurs twice in the word 'lollipop' and a 'p' looks like a lollipop with the stick poked under the line - like a lollipop poked into a display.
external image images?q=tbn:ANd9GcS8q9d2slvx8q7AcAjlI9Eovcskmr3v22w_aDJOnalqAwURxtmlXQ